Questions on Green

Julian Green’s decision to play for the USA and Jurgen Klinsmann’s move to include him into the USMNT roster for next week’s friendly versus Mexico raised some concerns. It was one of the most coveted and pivotal decision of the Klinsmann era. Barring his technical skills, with Bayern Munich’s manager Pepe Guardiola quoted as saying he can “wide and upfront, left and right,” the big question for Klinsmann is if Green presence will have an impact on coach 23-man list, as Green is widely expected to be on German’s final roster. But while Green’s commitment to USA will have effect on field, with Chris Wondolowski, veteran forward Eddie Johnson and Herculez Gomez’s, if he never had one, chances to make the final 23-man roster seriously in jeopardy, the 18-year-old German-American forward arrival could also produce results off field. Will Green’s arrival have a bad effect on team chemistry? From 1990 to 2010 the number of immigrants who contributed to US teams increased. The 1990 USMNT roster were filled of immigrant players. Tony Meola, Paul Caligiuri, Tab Ramos, the captain Mike Windischmann all had a foreign heritage. The 1994 team too had a lot of immigrants in Thomas Dooley, Earnie Stewart, Roy Wegerle, Frank Klopas, Fernando Clavijo, Claudio Reyna and Alexi Lalas. This is normal. Is part of the particular relationship USA have with immigrants and soccer made no exception. It has never been a problem as team spirit and self confidence remained high enough. At least until the infamous 1998 disaster occurred, when the coach Steve Sampson cut John Harkes and filled his void with highly touted David Regis, contributing to rub a troubled locker room. Team’s dressing rooms are difficult to manage but a rule does exist: players can handle egocentric egos or not respected guys as they can demonstrate that they can contribute to that business. The French quickly naturalized American Regis can’t. The team lost all the group games and went three and out. So Green will highly scrutinized outside and inside the team and he will need of a spectacularly good performance to impress his new compatriots and to persuade them he deserves to make the team.